N.J. gay rights advocates: Marriage near

As Maine became the fifth state to allow gay marriage, gay
rights advocates in New Jersey yesterday said they believe
the state is poised to pass such a law this year.

But gay marriage opponents are not giving up the fight --
they're still pushing for the issue to go to the ballot
box as a constitutional amendment, so that voters decide who
can use the term "marriage."

The state already recognizes civil unions for same-sex
couples after a Supreme Court decision in 2006 left it up to
the Legislature. The decision to reverse that law -- or take
it further -- is still in the hands of Legislature, where
lawmakers have introduced a bill that would allow gay
couples to marry (S2898), and a measure (SCR-30) that would
ask voters to amend the constitution to define marriage as a
union between a man and woman.

In a Statehouse news conference, gay marriage opponents
said lawmakers have not been responsive to putting the
marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot this year.

"There hasn't been any inroads or any further
movement of the bill that we could see, based on the
conversations we've had with legislators," said
Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council.

John Tomicki of the New Jersey Coalition to Preserve and
Protect Marriage said there was no reason to change civil
union laws to gay marriage other than to change the
"traditional" meaning of the term.

"If they have all the same benefits, protections and
responsibilities of marriage, why do we want to redefine
marriage? he said.

Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, said
it's highly unlikely that lawmakers would ban gay
marriage in this year's election.

"There's no chance of a constitutional amendment. New Jersey is moving in the complete other direction," said Goldstein....